The Intern
by kalidescopedisaster
Summary: Catherine Richards is an intern for Dunder Mifflin. When she bumps head with our favorite co-workers will she be able stay for the college credit? Or will she be in for more than she bargined for? Set before Casino Night
1. The Prologue

**Author Note: I just came up with an idea. At my high school has this program where you can work at companies for college credit. So...this is my first office fanfiction. So please be nice. :] Tell me if it's an okay idea. ;]**

Prologue

I whimpered in the I tried to cover my face as the tears streamed down my face. I sat in the lunchroom hoping no one would see me. I was not willing to be Michael's almost-sympathy or be known as the girl that cried in the break room. The door opened and closed but I didn't even want to look to see who it was.

"Hey. Are you okay?" The relaxingly-not-Michael voice asked.

"It's just boy troubles. Nothing to be worried about." I smiled knowing my face was red and my mascara was smeared.

"...Are you sure you don't want to talk? I'm on break and it's not like you're being paid?"

"It's just teen stuff. It's not something to waste—" My co-worker shook their head.

"Come on...we'll go talk."


	2. The Assignment

**Author Note: Okay. This is basically the beginning and introducing all the OC's. So enjoy. Constructive Criticism is always welcome. :] **

The Assignment

So this is my life story or the important part, I go to West Scranton High School and we have this business aiding. We go to local businesses and get to skip all of the school day except three hours in the morning and on one Friday of the month where we go to show a log of what we've accomplished. And, not having to get up at five to fix your hair was a HUGE plus. It's an awesome class. It was supposed to be an easy 'A' and college credit but of course I had to screw that one up too.

"Lyle, Katie."

"Here!"

"Merinos, Richard?" One kid stuck two fingers in the air and the curly, short haired, forty or fifty year old teacher, . The devil, a.k.a Mrs. Walker marked him present.

"Newman, October?" October Newman, my best friend, raised her hand and slowly moved it down grazing her almost orange hair. She was extremely awkward during class. But Mrs. Walker ignored that and carried on with her role. I sat in the back of the class where the white plaster met the leaky ceiling, and the leaky ceiling met my wet desk. Mrs. Walker always called everyone last name then first name. I think she did this because she didn't have numbers to call us by...like jail...get it?

"Potter, Natalie?"

"Here!" Natalie Potter a.k.a one of the skank-leaders yelled as she annoyingly smacked her five gum. "So did you have sex with him?"  
"I mean he's yummy and all but I'm a classy girl. We'll wait until he takes me on a date." The skank-leaders' leader Macy Dickinson smiled a white and fake smile (insert stupid clueless girls voice "like the store?" Macy, "Yeah like the store but I shop in Philadelphia."). I rolled my eyes.

"Peters, Ronny?" Ronny Peters, the stupidest boy you will ever mean. He flirts with anything that has boobs.

"Here! By the way, Mrs. Walker you're lookin' sexy today." Mrs. Walker blushed and smiled. Ew. Can we say Child Predator? Then, Mrs. Walker sighed and I took one ipod headphone out and saw her face turn into a grimace.

"Richards, Catherine?" She grunted.

"It's Cath and I'm Present!" I smiled. I put my knees in my chair and hid my ipod as I turned it on some Metro Station. I'd swim the ocean for you, the ocean for you woah-oh-oh—

"HAYDEN?" Oh yes. I'd swim the Ocean for Hayden Randall. Fellow troublemaker and my next door neighbor for basically all my life. The day they moved in was the day I got my new bike. I was so proud of it. My Barbie Dream Bike three-thousand I was pedaling and pedaling away and I ran into that beautiful boy. His hair was bowl cut and wavy black. He had dark blue eyes that contrasted so well with my brown eyes. My heart skipped. He yelled at me for screwing up his Hot Wheels. I knew I was in love. I would say "he doesn't notice me." Because he does. Then, it's like "So why am I complaining?" That's for me too know and for everyone else never to find out. "Okay, class. Today is the day, you and I have been waiting for ever since you started. DRUM ROLL PLEASE!" I tapped my pencil. Once.

"I got your back, Miss Walker!" I grinned. Ronny Peters grinned. I took out my finger gun and shot him when he turned around.

"Thank you...Catherine." She said through gritted teeth.

"No prob! And it's Cath!" I smiled. I turned to Hayden and he rolled his eyes.

"I'll be calling out the job you'll be taking according to...what class?"  
"Your preference, my preference, and where you would be the most productive." We all mumbled half-heartedly. In other words, where I want to put you.

"Melody Allan" She was on drill team or as the guys call them the 'Do team'. "Alvin and Company." Melody raised an eyebrow.

"What's that?" She asked.

"You're working at a shit factory, Princess." Kevin Clare, resident emo/punk, laughed. She screamed.

"Mr. Clare! Foul Language will not be tolerated." She walked down the rows and stopped at October who was frantically smoothing her hair.

"Sanders' Bakery."

"...Yay." She smiled small. Her bakery dreams were still in her reach. I gave her thumbs up.

"Katie Lyle. Scranton's Beauty Parlor."

"Oh Ew. I'm going to deal with Old hag's scalps." College Credit. College Credit. College Credit. She at the end, she went across to the next row.

"I go there!" Mrs. Walker remarked.

"Not surprised." All the class mumbled.

"Macy Dickinson. Cheer Coach for the Elementary kids."  
"Yes!" Does she always get what she wants?

"Hayden Randall."

"Yes si—ma'am." Mrs. Walker gave him a glare and then said.

"Robert and Sons, Sports Good Shop."

"Great." He frowned. Sports and his family were not a good combination. His brother, Will was so good he was going to be drafted to the NFL right after high school, but he got drunk one night and got hit by his parked car and he broke his arm and leg by the way he fell. So as some cliché twist of fate, he has a beer belly and still lives at home.

"Catherine Richards?"

"Cath." I remarked.

"Dunder Mifflin Paper Company."  
"...Wait as in cut down trees...paper?"

"There's only one kind." She scooted her glasses down and said expressionless.

"No. No. No. That's horrible for the environment!" I squealed.

"Catherine. Deal with it." She sighed.  
"At least you don't have to work in a shit factory." Melody sighed.

"IT'S PLUMBING, MISS ALLAN!" Mrs. Walker yelled. I'm working at freaking Global Warning Central. Gas for meetings, Electricity for freaking meaningless calls, and paper! Trees and Animals homes were being cut down!

Life officially sucks.


	3. The Stranger

**AN: Lovely. I just found out I had posted the wrong chapter. So...if this'll clear up all the confusion. I'm in the process of writing the next chapter. :] Hope you enjoy and REVIEW!**

The Stranger

I can't say that this was my first choice or even my last choice. I was hoping more on the lines of aide to a Cosmetologist, a Boutique Owner, a Music Store Manager, or aid a Kennel Lady. I mean even working at the Shit Factory would have beaten this place. _This_ was a death sentence. It's all because Mrs. Walker _hates_ me. What have I done to her? (Besides text, listen to my ipod, and not finish _a couple_ of assignments.) Nothing. I'm absolutely...perfect in that class.

I shut my mom's old loser cruiser and sighed. My trusty purse at my side and my ipod earphones in my ears. My cell phone vibrated but I ignored it. I shook my head and saw the bland blue and white sign.

Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.

I think the main reason I'm here is because I recycled everything and threw Mrs. Walker's chicken sandwich away. Yep. I think that's it. I sighed and looked at my dumb "working woman" uniform as my mother called it. Before, She cried about how 'I was growing up too fast.' Yuck.

Well, the only way to get through this is walking through that door and up those stairs. I climbed up the stairs. It was so unusual to wear heels. On top of that I was wearing a purple blouse. I wore my skinny jeans, though. I'll just say I didn't "know".

I grasped the handle and turned it. I shut my eyes as the door became ajar then I pushed it, still eyes closed. When I opened it, I expected to see everyone busily working like mindless robots but instead I saw a camera crew and saw about eleven or twelve sets of wide eyes frantically looking at me.

"Everyone, We have a stranger on the premises." A man with a really bad haircut and some ancient glasses, with _pens_ in his pocket screamed as he rose from his seat.

"Um...uh...Hi?" I took an earphone out of my ear.

"Silence. We do not know you." He said holding his phone as if it were a sword at his desk.

"...Oh...um—"

"What is your business here, Stranger?" He asked.

"...I'm from West Scranton High School."  
"So? Why should we care adolescent?" He growled.

"It's Cath and It's a school internship deal-io."

"Way to go, Dwight. Scare off the Intern." A tall man smiled goofily. He then, lazily span around in his pleader seat and attempted to high-five freak show. When, 'Dwight' just looked at him and turned to his computer, tall guy gave this weird face towards the camera. Then 'Dwight' took a ruler and shoved all the other guys stuff on his desk. This place is freaky.

**-Dwight-**

"I don't like the girl. Way too much sass. You're on my list...CATH."

**-End-**

"I'm sorry." The receptionist smiled. I turned to her. A simple brunette woman held the phone to her hand. She was wearing the same shirt as me! The Working Class—Stealing originality one employee at a time. I smiled despite the clothing...coincidence. "You're going to be working here?"

"Yeah. The first week I see what one section does. You know like sales, reception, finances, HR." She nodded and smiled. "And then I work with each one for a day. Then, Tuesday I choose one section to work with." I shrugged. "And this is how I spend my Junior Year." I gestured to the working building. "Oh I'm sorry. My name is Cath Richards." I held out my hand.

"Pam Beesly." She smiled shaking my hands.

"Nice to meet you."

"Hold on let me get Michael, Our Boss." When she said _boss_, I immediately expected a big gray-haired man screaming GET BACK TO WORK! Instead, there was a happy-go–lucky skinny middle-aged man who came out.

"Pamla, why must call I out of office?" He said in an obviously Asian accent.

"Are you positive this is Dunder Mifflin?" Pam nodded with a slight frown.

"Hi...I'm Catherine Richards." I winced at the sound of my real name. "But everyone calls me Cath."

"So I shall call you Catherine." He smiled.

"No. I don't go by Catherine. I go by Cath." I smiled.

"What makes you hate it?" He asked tilting his head.

"It's too long." I sighed. Were we really going to have a discussion on my name?

"That's what she said." I looked at the cameras as he cracked up.

"Am I on Punk'd?"

"No. What would make you think that?" The sarcastic brunette man asked. He gave another weird facial expression to the camera's direction.

"I don't know maybe the cameras and the employees!" I growled.

"Oh...we're being documented. You'll get use to it. Oh and by the way...Welcome to Dunder Mifflin." He cheered.

Unbelievable.


	4. The Introductions

**AN: Lovely. I just found out I had posted the wrong chapter. So...if this'll clear up all the confusion. I'm in the process of writing the next chapter. :] Hope you enjoy and REVIEW!**

The Introductions

"Come On Cathy! I'll take you on a tour!" Cathy...that name has just added thirty years to me. I grumbled and he ignored it. He smiled cheesily. I rolled my eyes. He reminded me of my Freshman History Teacher who I hated and always made fun of the sayings on my "boobies". That next year, he was arrested for sexual harassment on another teacher. Ha-ha. "This is Sales. That's Jim, he's the second hottest in the office, after me of course." Yep, definitely my old History Teacher.

"You find me attractive, Michael?" He cocked his head and sure enough there was a camera behind us.

"No...I meant. That's what I've heard...from Pam."

"What?" Pam was exasperated.

"Anyway that's Dwight." Michael skated over Pam's blow up.

"With hard work, determination, and don't be a bum like Jim and join in the Dwight Schrute Program."

"Are you selling me aerobic exercise DVDs or something?" I asked.

**-Jim -**

"How many people got a mental picture of Dwight Scrute with a head band and short shorts? Because it's now like...permanently there in my mind. Ulck."

**-End-**

"No...why would I waste time on a stupid DVD?"

"You said Dwight Shrute program..."

"I'll take ten DVDs. I really need to work on my legs." Jim said gesturing to his legs.

"I need help with my arms. I'm not known for my upper body strength." I joined.

"Do you have some special going on Dwight?" Jim asked.

"It'll be really nice to finally have an aerobic program." I laughed.  
"I DON'T HAVE AN AEROBIC PROGRAM!" Dwight screamed.

"I need to work on my core." Jim gestured towards his mid-section. I giggled.

"Yeah, because it's a lot of FLABBY, big tuna!" Everyone got silent. As a guy with big eyes smiled. "Yeah."

"That's Andy Bernard." Michael hesitated to say. I tried to smile but...awkward. He walked on.

"My friend, Stanley the Manly." Michael smiled. For some reason, he had some deep pride of his office.

"I'm not your friend, Michael." Stanley said lazily as he circled a word on his crossword.

"Cath." I smiled.

"This is Phyllis." Michael pointed to a sweet-looking lady with too much blush on.

"Hi, how are you?" She smiled.

"Good. I'm Cath."

"Nice to meet you." She grinned after shaking my head.

**-Phyllis- **

"She seems nice but then again so did Angela."

**-End-**

He led me over to another section where three odd balls sat together. You could tell the two men tolerated each other but the woman had a real stick up her ass.

"This is accounting Cathy." Michael cheered.  
"Cath." I repeated.

"Oscar, Kevin, Angela." Michael stated pointing to each of their heads.

"What's your name?" Angela pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Cath." I smiled.

"It sounds like a heathen name."

"...Thank...you?" She looked me up and down then returned to her typing.

**-Angela-**

"I do not teenagers or their skanky clothes. When _I_ was a teenager I wore kitty shirts to school and those little heathens made fun of me."

**-End-**

"Nice to meet you." Oscar, I think, looked at me as he held out his hand. He smiled.  
"Nice to meet you too...Oscar." I grinned as I shook his hand.

"No I'm Oscar. He's Kevin." The fat guy remarked.

"Oh I'm sorry...Kevin?" I asked at the man I was shaking hands with.

"No that's Jim." The bald guy smiled,

"Wait...What?"

"You were right, I'm Oscar."

"How old are you?" The monotone bald guy asked.

"Seventeen."

"Oh okay." I slowly backed away and Michael showed me the rest of the office.

"So where do you want to work, first?" He asked in his sickening cheerfulness.

"Anywhere I guess."

"That's what she said." Nice. My Boss is twelve.

"...How about—" I began.

"RECEPTION! Work in reception." Michael screamed. Then Pam sighed.

**-Pam-**

"It's not that I don't like Cath. No...I think she's...nice and has good taste in blouses but Michael's putting her there so he can mess with her. What he—and only him—calls 'Employee Initiation'. Poor, Poor, Cath."

**-End-**


	5. The Ropes

The Ropes

**AN: This does not follow all the events of Season Two. It's just kind of in the era. **

**This is the first full "episode" Cath is in. I'll tell you when an episode begins and ends. When I have things in bold it's either interviews or my author notes but I'm pretty sure you knew that. :]**

_Episode: A New Temp_

Pam leaned on her desk and I sat in her chair. Jim was leaning on the front of the desk chewing on jellybeans.

"There are only three rules." She stated. "One, keep it simple. Jim demonstration." Jim pulled out his phone and called the number and our phones rang instantaneously.

"Dunder Mifflin this is Pam." Pam said into the phone.

"Yes, Hi, I'm looking for Dwight Schrute." A smile broadened across Pam's face.

"Just one moment please." Jim hid his face and phone from Dwight's vision. He smiled back at her.

"Dwight Schrute."

"Hello, Is this Dunder Mifflin?" Jim said masking his voice with a burly, redneck sound. I bit my lip.

"Yes, It is."

"I want to apply for the job _Assistant to the Regional Manager_." Dwight gasped in horror. Pam and I tried to hold our snickers.

"...Who is this? Jim?"

"No, this is Billy Rob Horton."

"That position is already taken, thank you very much." Dwight almost slammed the phone down but Jim began speaking again.

"...Well it was in the want adds."

"Which one?" Dwight grabbed a paper and a pen.

"The Scranton Daily." Dwight wrote the name down, tore it out and put it in his shirt pocket. Then, he slammed his phone down and walked out. I could hear a car peeling out from the reception desk. All three of us laughed as soon as he peeled off.

**-Dwight-**

"I can't have other people like Billy Rob Horton threatening my job. I'm going to rip, tear, spit on, and burn every issue."

**-End-**

"Two, don't let Kevin stand at the desk for more than thirty seconds without movement. That either means he's watching you play free cell or if he has a creepy smile on his face, he's staring down your shirt." Pam nodded.

"Ew." Pam nodded again and whispered,

"Yup." Pam has to be my favorite right now, not much of a talker but friendly.

"...Yeah." Jim nodded. "Kevin does it to me all the time."

**-Jim-**

"Dwight is so gullible. Doesn't he know there's not even a Scranton Daily? Why does he love this place so much? God...I can't stand the place. (Pauses) Why do I want to stay? (Pam walks in the background) I have my reasons."

**-End-**

"Three, try to keep Michael in his office. Whenever he's out here, we're an audience to his lame jokes. He also loves messing with the receptionist and the most liked in the office." They pointed to each other.

"Oh and don't pity laugh...ever." Jim added.

"I don't pity laugh. Ever." I laughed.

**-Cath-**

"...So I'm not exactly sure how this place runs but if I had to choose one word to sum up this business it would be...unprofessional. And that Jim and Pam. They got something."

**-End-**

Jim went back to his seat, reluctantly. I took some jelly beans and grabbed the chair to sit behind and watch her 'work'. She online shopped, played free cell, forwarded calls, wrote notes, and plotted with Jim on their next "Dwight Attack". She'd say things like "See but don't do it like this" or "And that's how you do it." Michael would nod from his office and make pointless calls to some lady. Who'd always end the call saying "Michael, get back to work." or "Michael, we'll talk about this later."

The day went by slow. Pam had bought three exact same blouses in three different colors. All striped and all bland pastels. I guess the shirt she was wearing today was the only "rich" color she owned. It was around twelve thirty and Pam grabbed her bag lunch. I took my yellow lunch bag and tried to find somewhere to sit somewhere. Pam smiled and muttered.

"You can sit by me." I smiled thankfully. Jim joined the table with a bag of chips. The lunch was silent besides the crunches and the low mutters about the new girl. The only people I didn't see in the lunch room were Dwight, Angela (who was eating at her desk), and Michael. Dwight and Michael were no where to be seen.

**-Dwight-**

**_(At Gas Station Next To Newspapers)_**

"Billy Rob Horton lied."


End file.
